Earlier this month we told you about the province announcing expanded bus service in the north through Ontario Northland.

The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities is welcoming the enhancements.

“FONOM will be holding the government to account to ensure that bus services will in fact be improved and expanded when needed,” said Mayor Alan Spacek of Kapuskasing and President of FONOM. “Many Northern Ontarians depend on bus transportation to get to medical appointments, post secondary education and to visit friends and family. We need a system that is both accessible and reliable. A person should never have to wait on the side of a highway in the middle of the night to be able to get on a bus.”

The province also introduced the Community Transportation Grant Program to help communities develop new transportation services or improve existing service to communities not served or underserved by regular transit and intercommunity bus service.

“This program will prove beneficial particularly for those with limited mobility, seniors, people with disabilities, youth and people living on low income. However, we caution the government not to shift responsibility of intercommunity transportation to local governments,” said Spacek.

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